A unique account of the first 21st-century production at the Royal Opera House in 2007 of Richard Wagner s Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Antonio Pappano and directed by Keith Warner. This lavish book by Gary Kahn records the creation of The Royal Opera's exciting new Ring cycle from its first ideas through to performance. The detailed text features extensive interviews with the production team of Antonio Pappano, Keith Warner, Stefanos Lazaridis and Marie-Jeanne Lecca, as well as commentaries by members of a distinguished cast including Bryn Terfel, John Tomlinson, Placido Domingo and Waltraud Meier. With 288 pages including more than 350 full-colour photographs by Clive Barda of production preparations, rehearsals and performances, 'The Power of the Ring' is an essential companion both to this autumn s cycles at the Royal Opera House and to Wagner's monumental masterpiece itself.